Method of cleaning and preparing fibrous materials



Feb. 9

e; A. LOWRY METHOD OF QLEANI NG AND PREPARING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Sep 6, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 'INVENTOR 4. flurry Mama. 2

Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,663

. G. A. LOWRY METHOD OF CLEANING AND PREPARING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed p 6, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR Hwy A ORNEY Feb. 9,1926. i 1,572,663

G. A. LOWRY METHOD OF CLEANING AND PREPARING FIBROUS MATERIKLS Filed Sept. 6, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I Patented eb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE A. LOWRY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO JOHN J. FEUGE AN 'D L. RICH- MOND BROWNE, BOTH OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METHOD OF CLEANING AND PREPARING FIIBROUS MATERIALS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LowRY, a' citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of NewYork, have made a new and useful Invention in a Method of Cleaning and Preparing Fibrous Materials, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to a mode of opera- 1 tion whereby fibrous lants are cleaned of all extraneous or woo y matter and whereby the fibers themselves undergo material physical changes for the purpose of preparing the fiber bundles of said plants, whether occurring as bast-fiber or as structural-fiber, for spinning units in the manufacture of fabrics, in the textile arts, and for other purposes.

A further object includes the provision of a method by which the fibers are quickly, economically and effectively cleaned.

My method of cleanin and treating the fiber materials is prinaari y mechanical and it is accordingly readily and economically practiced to produce a superior'fiber, and the method is carried on without injury to the fibers and with practically no loss or waste of material. The mode. of treatment may be afpllied to any fibrous plant such as flax,

80 jute, emp, ramie and others, from which the fiber is prepared for spinning units that are suitable for use in the textile and other allied arts.

The mode of operation may be carried out by hand or by specially devised machinery and comprises generally the steps of rupturing or breaking the woody matter into small arts, causin the ruptured parts to become etached an removed from the fiber and thereafter readjusted, cleaned and straightened. Fibers thus prepared retain their full natural tensile strength and their added .qualities above named, as well as dthers, provide a new and greatly im roved prodnot. There is, moreover, no danger of injuring the fiber due to chemical treatment, nor is there loss of fiber as waste or tow.

In the accompanying drawings 1. have shown more or less dia ammatically the several steps as practicetf in my process to obtain the improved fiber and in addition Application filed September 6, 1924. Serial No. 736,265.

thereto I have shown one form of apparatus suitable for carrying out my process.

Referring now to the drawings:

Fig. 1 may be said to represent the first step or stage in my process.

Fig. 2 represents a view thereof in greater detail than given in Fi 1.

Fig. 3 may be regarded as representing a' second step or stage.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of a fiber mass which has been subjected to my process and has been again straightened.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of an apparatus suited to carry out my process, and

Figs. 6 and 7 are certain details of said apparatus.

If flax, or similar fibrous material is'the subject of treatment, the same is fed into the apparatus through the hopper 20 by an operator who may at the same time furnish the motive power for operating said apparatus by means of a foot treadle 21, thereby causing a drive link 22 to operate a pulley or sprocket 23, to which is attached a bell crank 24 carrying a drive link 25 and rack 26. Rack 26 is providedwith teeth 27 and operates in a slide 28. These teeth engage a gear 29 which carries a front pawl or dog 30 and a rear pawl or dog 31. These dogs are disposed oppositely and engage drive members 32 and 33 respectively to the front and the rear of ear 29. Gear 29 is carried freely on its sha 34 but members 32 and 33 are attached thereto. Shaft 34 carries also 35 one of the breaker and fluifer members 35, the surface of which is fluted and engages its companion member 35 which is caused thus to rotate in unison with member 35.

Suitable drive belts or chains 37 cause to rotate one or morefluted members 38 and 39, for example, in each of which the fiutings enga e similar fiutings on its companion member 38 and 39 A fly wheel 40 and beater members 41 are driven by a belt or chain 42.

Assuming now a suitable bundle of fiber stalks 43 to be fed between the cleaning and fluting members 39, 39 while the operating rack 26 moves downwards. Then will all the cleanin and fluting members move in what we will name the positive direction,

i as is also indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1

and 2. This action causes the first contact of the fiber stalks and the cleaning and treating units, which thereby breaks the woody portion of the plant and more or less regularly crinkles the fiber. A definite length of plant stalk is thus acted upon. This action is approximately represented by Figs. 1 and 2, but it is essential to so act on the stalk that it will be finely subdivided and that at the same time it is subjected to the softening andfluting steps.

In the next step the motion of the cleaning, splitting and fluting members is reversed, as is indicated in Fig. 3. This reversal may be accomplished in any desired manner. In the present form I employ a cam to disengage the reversing dog 31 at the proper time by permitting the pin 31' to ride on the cam surface 41 to thereby carry the fluted members and material back' a less distance than it has been carried forward, and to thereby cause'the fluted mem-' bers to break the stalks and not onl remove the woody and pithy portion there rom, but also favorably act on the fibers by reason of the friction contact of the fluting ribs 42' on its lower side rubbing against the upper side of ribs 43 in the forward 'movement and on the reverse side in the backward movement. This action on the fiber performs the very important severing and softening functions and at the same time by its cleaning and crumpling actions imparts the very desirable qua ities to the fibers as indicated.

It will be observed that when the reversal or folding action has taken place, the broken and bent parts of the fiber stalks are folded and crowded together somewhat after the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. With the next forward movement or the third stage of the process, the fiber mass is further subjected to lateral or end crushing which further intensifies the cleaning action, and as the forward movement is substantially twicethat of its backward movement the said action is from the fiber mass and to again straighten.

the fiber. A portion of treated fiber is represented by Fig. 4, greatly enlarged and somewhat diagrammatic. In many instances the fibrils split ofl' and form long slender threads which are greatly desired. This pulling and shaking may be done in any desired manner with or without the aid of suitable apparatus. I find that the beate'rs 41 serve admirably in performing the final step of reconditioning the fiber and putting it'in final condition for use as stated.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, of my own invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of preparing for spinning and weaving the fiber from fibrous plants,

'which comprises bending the fiber stalks to break the woody material of said plants, then folding said bent or ruptured portions upon themselves and subjecting said folded parts to end thrusts and repeating the bend. ing and the end thrusts to thereby free and remove the woody matter from the fiber.

2. The method of preparing for spinning and weaving the fiber from fibrous plants,

comprises bending and breaking the woody part into short ends or chives, then causing said bent and broken ends to fold .upon themselves and causing said folded parts to be subjected to further breaking and applying end thrusts to said chives to free the same from the fibrous material.

4. The method of preparing for spmnmg and weaving the fiber from fibrous plant stalks, which comprises bending said stalks and piling up said bent parts then applying end thrusts to said piles to free the woody part from the fibrous part of said plant stalks.

5. The method of preparing for spinning and weaving the fiber from fiberous plant stalks which comprises bending the fibers and rupturing the woody part of said stalks, then transversely folding said bent fiber portions and-causing said folded portions tobe submitted to endwise crushing actions and repeating said folding and said end-on crushing steps.

6. The method of removing the woody part from the fiberous part of fibrous plant stalks,

which comprises causing portions of said plant stalks to be moved back and forth and while so moved, causing the stalks to be bent, broken and formed into folds and supplying end pressure on said broken parts to free said parts from the fiber.

7. The method of eliminating the woody parts from fibrous parts ofsaid plant stalks,

which comprises causing said plant stalks to be folded upon themselves and While so folded causing said parts to be subjected to a crushing action to thereby free the woody part from the fibrous part.

8. The method or eliminating the woody part from the fibrous parts of plant stalks, which comprises causing said plant stalks to be moved longitudinally of the stalks and while so moved causing said stalks to be repeatedly folded and end thrusts applied to the folded parts to thus free the Woody parts from the fiber and to cause the fiber to be retained in long ribbon-like strands.

9. The method of removing the Woody part from the fibrous part of fiber producing plant stalks, which comprises causing said plant stalks to be periodically advanced a stated distance and alternately retarded a lesser distance, and causing said plant stalks while so moving to be folded to be subjected to disruptive action for eliminating the woody parts from the fibrous mass.

10. The method of cleaning and condi tioning fibrous plants to form spinning and weaving threads which comprises causing fiber containing plant stalks to be advanced in the direction of their longitudinal axis and then retreated a lesser distance and while thus moved causing the stalks to be folded and to receive disruptive action to free the woody matter from the fibrous mass.

11. The method of cleaning and conditioning fibrous plants to. form spinning and Weaving threads which comprises causing a plurality of said plant stalks to be advanced in the direction of their longitudinal axis:

and to be then retreated in the opposite direction to form transverse folds then subjecting said folds to disruptive action and thereafter repeating said folding and disrup-tive actions to strip the Woody parts from the fibrous portions of the plant stalks.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this twenty-fifth day of August A. D., 1924."

GEORGE A. LOWRY. 

